Vertical shaft washing machines



March 29, 1960 c. A. CAZZANIGA VERTICAL SHAFT WASHING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 7, 1955 I INVENTOR, CARLOS ALBERTO CAZZANIGA will. I

ATTORNEY March 29, 1960 c. A. CAZZANIGA 2,930,216

VERTICAL SHAFT WASHING MACHINES Filed June 7, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORJ CARLOS ALBERTO CAZZANIGA ATTORNEY March 29, 1960 c, AZZAN|GA 2,930,216

VERTICAL SHAFT WASHING MACHINES Filed June 7, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORJ ,CARLos ALBERTO CAZZANIGA BY 1 W,

ATTORNEY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 C. A. CAZZANIGA VERTICAL SHAFT WASHING MACHINES llllll MIlIIlQE March 29, 1960 Filed June 7, 1955 mvgmozz CARLOS ALBERTO CAZZANIGA BY JM ATTORNEY United States Patent VERTICAL SHAFT WASHING MACHINES Carlos Alberto Cazzaniga, Buenos Aires, Argentina, assignor to Kenig, Cazzaniga y Cia. Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 21 corporation of Argentina Application June 7, 1955, Serial No. 513,841

16 Claims. (Cl. 68-23) This application is a continuation-in-part of'my copending application Ser. No. 382,815, filed September 28, 1953, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to washing machines and more particularly to a machine of simplified design and construction capable of effective washing while utilizing substantially the entire volume of the wash tank to provide a large wash capacity for a machine of any given size.

In accordance with the invention, a perforated wash tank is immersed in a container for the washing liquid and means are provided to sequentially alternately rotate, or oscillate, the tank about its vertical axis or to continuously rotate the tank about the same axis to perform the washing and centrifugal draining cycles of the washing operation.

More particularly, the side walls of the perforated wash tank are provided with inwardly directed narrow vertical impellers and means are provided to alternately rotate the tank about its vertical axis in such manner that the maximum velocity of the tank is greater in one rotational direction than it is in the other so that the clothes being Washed are engaged by the narrow vertical impellers and propelled more strongly in one rotational direction than the other to the end that the clothes are given a resulting displacement in one rotational direction to insure separation of the clothes being washed as well as the continual displacement of the clothes with respect to the washing liquid in which they are immersed. The impellers are preferably V-shaped to force the washing liquid inwardly.

Further, means are provided to effect a compound radial oscillation of the wash tank'and its associated container about the vertical axis. This compound radial oscillation produces a fluctuation in the level of the washing liquid and the liquid is thus in a state of continual agitation. This agitation is of value in enhancing the effectiveness of the washing action because it forces the washing liquid through the clothes and serves to move the clothes up and down in the washing liquid. The up and down motion .of the clothes in the washing liquid forces the liquid through the clothes. The radial oscillation of the wash tank and container is produced by the fact that the means to oscillate the wash tank is supported by the" container for the washing liquid and the container is resiliently mounted. The use of a rotational oscillation which has a maximum velocity in one direction which is greater than the maximum velocity in the other direction contributes greatly to the desired radial oscillation.

Also, a small agitator is centrally located in the bottom of the wash tank to agitate the liquid in this region.

An object of the invention is to provide a Washing machine of simplified construction, which, despite its simplicity, is capable of an effective washing action while utilizing substantially the entire volume of the washtank.

'A further object of the invention'isthe provision of 2 simplified means for sequentially alternately rotating the tank about its vertical axis and continuously rotating the tank about this same axis.

Another object of the invention is to provide a washing machine employing a perforated wash tank in which an effective washing action is provided without the use of an agitator movable with respect to the wash tank.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a compound radial oscillation during the wash cycle to enhance the effectiveness of the washing action.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means to prevent the forces caused by an unbalanced disposition of clothes in the wash tank during the centrifugal draining operation from being transmitted to the supporting housing.

Other and further objects of the invention will be come apparent from the description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partially in section, of the device illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. -3 is a diagrammatic plan view;

elevation of an embodiment of Fig. 4. is a detailed view of one of the resilient sup" ports for the container for washing liquid;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken sub stantially on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6 and showing the details of the guide means for the double acting gear actuation means, and

- Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a main control for the device illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the embodiment illustrated contains a supporting structure 1v formed as a housing or frame, as preferred, for the washing machine of the invention. In the form illustrated, the supporting structure 1 comprises feet 2 having threaded stems 3 which, by means of the nuts 4, can ,be set to regulate the level of the machine. A

The supporting structure 1 includes vertical angle irons 5 which are linked together by suitable frame members. The angle irons 5 are apertured to provide supports for the upper ends of springs 50 which support the container for washing liquid 39. Brackets 6 are secured to the undersurface of the container '39 and brackets 8 are secured to the undersurface of the brackets 6. The brackets 6 and 8 carry the several operative parts of the washing machine on the one hand as well as the power and drive means for the wash tank on the other hand,

suitable securing members.9 being employed to secure of the arbor 15. The arbor 15 constitutes the main drive of a gear assembly b the purpose of which is to alternately rotate and continuously rotate the wash tank a. V V

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the gear assembly b comprises an oil casing 16 having a cover-plate 17 removably secured to the C354 Patented Mar. 29, 1960 3 ing 16 by means of the nuts and bolts 18 or by any other suitable means.

The lower end of the casing 16 is provided with a downwardly extending portion 19 within which is positioned a bushing and aTbearing- 20 for supporting the shaft 21 which is rotatably seated on the bearing and in the bushing.

The lower middle portion of the shaft 21 is splined at 22 and a double acting gear 24-24 is fitted about the shaft 21 in engagement with the splines 22. The splines 22 are longer than the double acting gear 24-44 so that the double acting gear may be displaced longitudinally with respect to the shaft 21 along the splined portion 22 thereof. This longitudinal displacement is effected by an impeller 25 which is provided with suitable actuating means for raising and lowering the same which will be described hereinafter.

The casing 16. is also provided with a slidable rack 26 and the arbor 15 extends across the casing 16 and is vertically spaced from the rack 26' so that when the double acting gear 24--24' is raised, the upper gear 24' thereof will engage with a worm forming a portion of the arbor 15 and when the double acting gear 2424" is lowered, the lower gear 24 will engage with the rack 26.

In Fig. 1, the actuating impeller 25 is in an intermediate position so that the double acting gear 2424 is positioned between the worm on the arbor 15 and the rack 26 so that neither the worm or the rack engages the double acting gear 24-24. Thus, Fig. l show-s the washing machine in a'neutral or inoperative position in which the power supplied by the motor 10, the shaft 11, the pulley 12, the belt 13 and the arbor 15, is not transmitted to the wash tank a.

The gear arrangement employed in the device shown in Fig. 1 is very similar to the gear arrangement shown in Fig. 6 and accordingly, the details of the construction of the gear assembly b in Fig. 1 will be described in conjunction with the detailed showing presented in Fig. 6. In this regard, the cooperative relationship between the motor 10, the belt 13 and the gear assembly b is shown in Fig. which also indicates the section line on which Fig. 6 is taken.

The arbor 15 is operatively related to the sliding rack 26 by means of a worm 27 which continually meshes with a spur gear 28 which carries a pin 29 to which is pivotally secured a connecting rod 30 which terminates in a second pin 31 which is pivotally secured to the rack 26. Thus, when the arbor 15 is rotated by the pulley 14, the worm 27 effects rotation of the spur gear 28 which rotates the pin 29 to slide the rack 26 back and forth through the connection rod 30 and pin 31. Since the spur gear 28 is continuously rotated, the rack 26 is continuously reciprocated. Referring to Fig. 7, it will be seen that the rack 26 is mounted on a guideway in the wall of the casing 16.

The arbor 15 is provided with a second worm 15'. When the double acting gear 24-24 is raised by the impeller 25, the gear 24 engages with the worm 15 and is directly driven thereby.

It will thus be apparent that when the gear 24--24 is lowered, the shaft 21 is driven through its splines 22 by the double acting gear 24-24' which is oscillated by engagement with the rack 26, the oscillation of the shaft 21 being transmitted to the wash tank a. When the double acting gear 24-24 is raised, the gear 24 is disengaged from the rack 26 and the gear 24 is'continuously rotated by the worm 15' to continuously rotate the shaft 21 and hence the wash tank a.

As can be seen from Fig. 6, the center of the gear 28 is vertically spaced from the center of the pin 31 by a distance h. As a result of this vertical spacing of the gear 28 from the center of the pin 31, the maximum velocity attained by the rack 26 on its forward. stroke is different from the maximum velocity attained by the rack 26 on its rearward stroke. When the gear 24 is engaged 4. with the rack 26, this diiference in the maximum velocities of the forward as opposed to the backward stroke of the rack 26 is transmitted through the gear 24 to the shaft 21 and hence to the wash tank a.

The upper end of the shaft 21 is splined at 32 (Fig. l) to secure the core 33 of the wash tank a to the shaft 21. The bottom or base of the wash tank a is provided with a ramp-like. surface 34 which continues in a flat portion 34' to an edge 35 to which is fixed side walls 36 of the wash tank a.

The wash tank a is provided with holes or orifices 37 and the bottom of the wash tank 34' may also be perforated. The side walls 36 of the wash tank a are provided with a plurality of narrow impelling members 38. The impellers 38 are fixedly secured to the side walls 36 so that relative. motion therebetwcen is prevented thus eliminating the danger that the clothes within the wash tank a will become caught between the relatively moving surfaces of the wash. tankyand; the agitating members. The side walls 36 may be formed with impellers 38 formed integral therewith. The impellers 38 may be vertically disposed, as shown, or inclined at a small angle to the vertical axis to enhance the up and down motion of the clothes in the washing liquid. However, in either case they are generally vertical; Thus, as shown in the drawings, each impeller terminates in a generally vertical free edge, unsecured to any center post, to provide an unobstructed central portion in the wash tank.

It is preferred to arrange the impellers 38 at opposite sidesof the wash tank a as. can be seen in Figs. I and 3. Naturally, it is possible to include one or more sets of impellers depending on the size of the wash tank a. It is important that the impellers 38 be narrow with respect to the radius of the wash tank a so that while the impellers 38 are capable of engaging clothes near the outer periphery; of the wash tank a, these impellers 38 are not capable of confining'the washing liquid or the clothes being washed therebetween.

The impelling members 38, are preferably V-shaped and function to engage and propel the clothes being washed and to force the washing liquid inwardly. which further adds to the desired action of forcing washing liquid through the clothes. The fluctuations in the level of the wash liquid effected by the radial oscillation of the container 39. and the wash tank a prevents the clothes from becoming centrally confined by the inward flow of wash liquid occasioned by the impelling members 38. Preferably, the impellers 38 extend into the wash tank a for a distance of approximately /6 .of theradius thereof. This proportion may be varied and effective results are still secured when the impellers 38. project into the wash tank a for a distance of from /s to /a. In other words, the impellers 38 should project into the wash tank a for a sufiicient distance to enable them to effectively engage the clothes being washed without providing any substan tial deterrent tow the free passage of washing liquid past the impellers.

The wash tank a is concentrically housed in a container 39 which holds the washing liquid to be used during the washing operation. The container 39 is fixed to an adjusting member 40 whichis provided with a suitable packing. Auxiliary packing 41 may also be provided to prevent the washing liquid from entering the gear asserubly b should the packing 40 be inetfective. The upper end of the gear casing 16 is provided with a bushing or preferably with ball bearings to permit rotation of the shaft 21 and, with it, of the wash tank a.

Thebrackets 6 are secured to the undersurface of the container 39 and the gear assembly b as well as the brackets 8- are secured to the. brackets 6. Since the mo tor 10 is secured to the brackets 8,.the container 39 as well as the motor 10 and the gear assembly 12 constitute a single unit.

The upper portion. of the: container 39 is secured to an annular plate 42 the inner end of which engages an expansion member 43 which is shown as a bellows. The annular plate 42 is of substantial weight and the utilization of a heavy plate 42 fixed to the upper portion of the container functions to prevent the housing from shaking during the centrifugal draining operation should the clothes in the wash tank happen to be non-uniformly distributed. Since the frequency of vibration of the container unit supported by the springs 50 differs from the frequency of rotation of the wash tank (the frequencies being not harmonically related), the inertia of the container unit with the heavy plate 42 prevents excessive transmission of unbalanced forces originating in the wash tank Since the washing liquid contacts the lower surface of plate 42 it is necessary to render this plate resistant to corrosion. This can be done by enameling the plate 42, or, as shown in Fig. 5, by employing a corrosion resistant sheet 42' made, for example, of aluminum, and providing the necessary weight in a separate annular plate 42 secured above the plate 42' out of contact with the washing liquid. The sheet 42' may also be formed of a resilient material, such as rubber, and made integral with the expansion member 43.

The bellows 43 is secured at its upper end to anaccess opening 44 in the main cover 45 which is secured to the upper end of the supporting housing 1. Thus, access to the wash tank a can be had through the access opening 44, the bellows 43 and the annular plate 42.

In accordance with the invention, it is intended that the wash tank a and its associated container 39 be movable within the supporting structure 1. This is accomplished, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, by the spring mounting of the container 39 by the springs 50 the upper curved ends of which 49 are lodged in the support sleeve 48 and the lower curved ends of which are removably housed in the members 48' which are secured to the container 39. The support sleeves 48 are mounted on the member 47. Preferably, the container 39 is supported by four spring members 50 one of which is secured to each corner angle iron 5 of the supporting housing 1, as shown in Fig. 3, and the springs 50 are preferably arranged at an angle of from the vertical when they are in position supporting the container 39.

As previously stated, an important feature of the. invention resides in the radial oscillation which is established. Considering the container 39 as well as the wash tank a and the various power generating and transmitting devices such as the motor 10 and the gear assembly b as well as other parts which are secured to the container 39 as a unit, it will be apparent that the radial oscillation of the wash tank a and its associated container 39 is dependent on the position at which the springs 58 are secured to the container 39.

If the springs were to support the container 39 at the upper portion thereof, only an insignificant radial oscillation would be produced. On the other hand, if the springs 50 support the container 39 at too low a position, the forces which generate the radial oscillation of the wash tank a with its associated container 39 would be insufliciently resisted and the resulting oscillation would become excessive and undesirable.

It is preferred to support the container 39 by hanging the same using springs under tension because the resulting construction is greatly simplified. It is also preferred to support the container 39 at a level above the center of gravity of the container 39 and its associated parts when the container is filled with washing liquid to obtain the required stability. More preferably, container 39 is supported at a level close to the aforesaid center of gravity. The exact point of support is also partially dependent on the stiffness of springs 50, in that weaker springs can be secured at a somewhat higher level while still enabling sufiicient radial oscillation. It will be observed that draining of the washing liquid from the container 39 lowers the center of gravity and provides additional stability which isdesirable during the centrifugal draining operation.

The expansion member 43 includes a ring 43 which forms a sealing seat for a cover plate 46 which is preferably made of transparent material. The plate 46 is provided with a knob 46' to facilitate handling thereof and to enable removal of the plate to uncover the access opening of the washing machine.

The container 39 is provided with an opening 51 at the bottom thereof and a tubular member 52, preferably of a flexible nature, is connected to the opening 51. Re-

ferring to Figs. 1 and 2, the end of the tubular member 1 52 remote from the opening 51 can be joined to a suction pump 53 which, in turn, is connected with another tube 54 which is joined to a connector 55, 55 and continues in an additional member 56 which is bent to form an elbow and thus serve as 'a drain for 39.

Pump 53 is pivotally hung at 83 and secured to a suitable operating lever 80 which is operated by a cable 59 which is spring tensioned, as shown, by the spring 81. The operating lever 80 is spring biased by the spring 8;?- so that spring 82 will force the pump 53 into driving relation with the pulley 14 when the tension on cable 59 is released. Separation of the pump 53 from the pulley 14 is effected by the abutment 84 which is controlled by spring 81 and cable 59. Y

The main control d of the device shown in Fig. '1 has been diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 9. Tliecontrol d comprises cams 90 which function to permit passage of electric current to the motor 10 and a pulley 91. Two cables 58'and 59 are secured to the pulley 91, the cables traversing the pulley in opposite directions. As previously pointed out, cable 59 operates lever 80 to prevent engagement of the pump 53 with the pulley 14 and cable 58 operates the impeller 25, tension on the cable 58 acting first to disengage gear 24 from rack 26 to place the double acting gear in a neutral position and further tension on the cable 58 acting to engage gear 24' with the worm 15. e

The cams 90 are positioned so that electric current is only supplied to the motor 10 after the cables 58 and 59 have been manipulated toan extent sufiicient to permit the desired engagement of gears. If the teeth of gear 24 do not mesh with the worm 15', the spring 92 release tension on one of the cables as it applies tension to the other cable irrespective of the direction of rotati0n.' Thus, rotation of pulley 91 to loosen cable 58 causes engagement of gear 24 with rack 26 to enable alternate rotation of wash tank a. At the same time cable 59 is tightened so that pump 53 will not be operative. cable 53 to place double acting gear 2424' in a neutral position will loosen cable 59 sutliciently to enable spring 82 to render pump 53 operative. In this cycle, draining occurs while the Wash tank a is stationary. Further rotation of pulley 91 to further tighten cable 58 engages gear 24' with worm 15 to continuously rotate wash tank a. The further loosening of cable 59, so effected does not change the operative position of pump 53 so that draining continues while the wash tank a is spinning to centrifugally force washing liquid from the wet clothes.

The container 39 holds the washing liquid and in accordance with the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the container 39 is filled by means of nozzle 60 which is joined to a flexible tube 61, the end of which remote water. In the modification of the-invention disclosed in I the container Partial rotation of pulley 91 to partially tighten Fig. the nozzle 60 and flexible tube 61 have been eliminatcd and the container 39 may be filled with washing liquid in any suitable manner by means not forming a part of the washing machine or through the opening 51.

Thus, Fig. 5 shows a very simple construction in accordance with the invention while Fig. 1 shows a more complex construction providing separate fill and drain lines and a pump to speed the draining operation. The invention can naturally be embodied with suitable, controls to render operation automatic.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 8, the impeller 25 is slidably mounted on a shaft 74 and a helical spring 70 surrounds the upper portion of shaft 74 to urge the impeller 25 downwardly. A cable 71 is guided into the gear assembly b by the guide roller 72 which is carried by-the brackets 73. One end of the cable 71 is mounted in the main control d and the other .end of the cable 71 is secured to the impeller 25. Thus, the cable 71 can be pulled to move the impeller upwardly against the pressure of the spring 70 or released to permit the impeller 25 to be thrust downwardly by the spring 71) to the extent permitted by the release of the cable 71. v i

The gear assembly shown in Fig. l differs from that shown in Figs. 6 and 8 in that in Fig. 1, cable 58 actuates lever 57 which pivots a lever which is pivoted to the impeller 25 while in Figs. 6 and 8, cable 58 has been replaced with a cable 71 which is directly connected to the impeller 25. The weight of lever 57 in Fig. 1 can eliminate the necessity of employing shaft '74 and spring 79.

Referring again to Fig. l, the washing liquid in the lower central portion of wash tank a is not agitated as vigorously as is the remainder of the washing liquid. To overcome this, a small agitator 33' is secured to the core 33 of the wash tank a to provide a desirable turbulence in the lower central region of the tank. The agitator 33 rotates with the tank a and hence no relatively moving parts are present Within the tank to endanger the clothes being washed. The agitator 33' is preferably of small size since its function is a limited one and because a large agitator is unnecessary and would reduce the load which could be accommodated in a tank of given size.

With further reference to Fig. 5, the top of the wash tank a is curved inwardly as an additional precaution to prevent clothes from escaping from within the tank a to the annular space between the tank a and the container 39.

The device of the invention is operated in the following manner:

Container 39 is charged with washing liquid and since the wash tank a contains the perforations 3 7, the wash tank a is also filled with liquid at the same level as in the container 39. The articles to be washed are placed in the tank a through the bellows 43 and the cover plate 46 is then inserted upon the ring 43' to close the access opening. The main control d is then operated in suitable manner to start the motor 10 which results in the continuous rotation of the arbor 15. As previously explained. pulley 91 simultaneously releases the tension on the impeller actuating cable to thereby release the impeller 25 so that the double acting gear 24-24 is moved down wardly to cause the gear 24 to mesh with the rack 26. As previously indicated, this results in the oscillation of the shaft 21 and hence the wash tank a as well as the impellers 38.

In view of the fact that the center of the gear 28 is out of line with the center of the pin 31 on the rack 26, the oscillation of the wash tank a will be such that the maximum rotational velocity in one direction is greater than the maximum rotational velocity in the other direction. Accordingly, the clothes in the wash tank a are continually displaced around the tank and the clothes being washed are separated.

Additionally, and particularly because the oscillating t me p e to th as t sk ar n un m th container 39 and the parts associated therewith are caused. to oscillate radially about a point substantially coincident with the lower end of shaft 21 to produce a surging of liquid in the container 39. and. the wash tank a. Still further, the small agitator 33 at the bottom of the wash tank a provides a desirable turbulence at the lower central region of the wash tank.

When the washing operation has been completed, the operator can then manipulate the control d to pull the impeller cable to thereby move the impeller 25 to disengage the gear 24 from the rack 26 to place the double acting gear 24-24 in a neutral position for draining. After the washing liquid has been drained, and after rinsing, the control d is again manipulated to further tension the impeller cable and move impeller 25 to engage the gear 24' with the worm 15' on the arbor 15. As previously indicated, this results in the continuous rotation of the wash tank a and permits centrifugal draining to be efiected. i

The foregoing description of operation is a generic one and it will be appreciated that in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1-4, draining '(both centrifugal and otherwise) is accompanied by operation of pump 53 which is not employed in the embodiment shown in Figs. 5-8.

It will also be appreciated that the invention has been illustrated by reference to preferred embodiments and that many changes can be introduced without departing from the teachings of this invention, the scope of which is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A washing machine comprising a vertically positioned container for washing liquid, and a perforated wash tank mounted for rotation therewithin about a vertical axis, resilient means supporting said container for movement in all directions, said wash tank having a plurality of narrow inwardly directed vertical impellers mounted on the side walls thereof for rotation therewith, each impeller extending substantially the height of said wash tank and terminating in a generally vertical free edge short of the central portion of said wash tank, the side walls of said wash tank between said impellers having perforations therethrough, and drive means to sequentially oscillate said wash tank about said vertical axis and to continuously rotate said wash tank about the same axis, said resilient means being constructed and arranged so that said container will radially oscillate to agitate the washing liquid and enhance the effectiveness of the washing action when said drive means oscillates said wash tank. l

2. A washing machine as recited in claim 1 in which said narrow vertical impellers project into the wash tank for a distance of from /8 to A of the radius thereof.

3. A washing machine as recited in claim 1 in which said narrow vertical impellers project into the wash tank for a distance of approximately /6 of the radius thereof.

4. A washing machine as recited in claim 1 in which the impellers are two in number and are mounted on opposite sides of said tank.

5. A washing machine as recited in claim 1 in which said narrow vertical impellers are V-shaped in crosssection.

6. A washing machine as recited in claim 1 in which a small agitator is centrally disposed at the bottom of said wash tank for rotation therewith, said agitator extending upwardly a minor portion of the height of said tank, the space above said agitator being unobstructed.

7. A washing machine as recited in claim 1 in which said means to sequentially oscillate said wash tank about the vertical axis thereof and continuously rotate said wash tank about this same axis are suspended from and movable with said container. i

8. A washing machine as recited in claim 1 in which an annular member of substantial weight is secured to the upper portion of said container.

9. A washing machine as recited in claim 7 in which said container is resiliently supported by a plurality of springs.

10. A washing machine as'recited in claim 9 in which said springs are secured to the side walls of said container and said means for oscillating said wash tan'k oscillates said wash tank with a maximum rotational velocity in one direction which is greater than the maxi mum rotational velocity in the other direction.

11. A washing machine as recited in claim 10 in which said springs are secured to said container at a level approximately equal to the center of gravity of said container and the parts secured thereto when said container is filled with washing liquid.

12. A washing machine comprising a housing, a vertically positioned container for washing liquid, and a perforated wash tank mounted for rotation therewithin about a vertical axis, said wash tank being provided with a plurality of narrow inwardly directed vertical impellers mounted on the side walls thereof for rotation therewith, each impeller extending substantially the height of said wash tank and terminating in a generally free vertical edge short of the central portion of said wash tank, spring means mounted within said housing for resiliently supporting said container for movement in all directions, the side walls of said wash tank between said impellers having perforations therethrough, and drive means suspended from and movable with said container for sequentially continuously rotating said wash tank about said vertical axis and oscillating'said wash tank about this same axis with a maximum rotational velocity in one direction which is greater than the maximum rotational velocity in the other direction, said spring means being constructed and arranged so that said container will radially oscillate to agitate the washing liquid and enhance the effectiveness of the washing action when said dry means oscillates said wash tank.

13. A washing machine comprising a container for washing liquid and a perforated wash tank mounted for rotation therewithin, said wash tank being provided with narrow inwardly directed impellers mounted on the side walls thereof for rotation therewith, an axially rotatable vertical shaft extending through said container and supporting said wash tank and means to sequentially oscillate and centrifugally rotate said wash tank including vertical splines on the lower portion of said vertical shaft, a double acting gear slidably mounted on the splined portion of said shaft, a transverse shaft carrying two worm gears, a spur gear operatively connected to one of said worm gears for continuous rotation thereby, a horizontally positioned rack and means pivotally connecting said 1 spur gear with said horizontal rack whereby the continuous rotation of said spur gear eflects oscillation of said horizontal rack, means to vertically displace said double. acting gear along said splines into a first position where said double acting gear meshes with and is continuously rotated by the other of said worm gears to thereby continuously rotate said splined shaft and centrifugally rotate said wash tank and into a second position where said double acting gear meshes with said horizontal rack to effect oscillation of said splined shaft and said wash tank, and means to continuously rotate said transverse shaft.

14. A washing machine as recited in claim 13 in which said container is resiliently mounted.

15. A washing machine as recited in claim 13 in which a connecting rod is pivotally connected at one end with said spur gear and at the other end with said horizontal rack with said point of connection between said connecting rod and said horizontal rack being vertically spaced from the center of rotation of said spur gear so that said horizontal rack will move at a greater maximum velocity References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,634,238 Sinclair June 28, 1927 1,700,749 Sinclair Feb. 5, 1929 1,991,793 Cureton Feb. 19, 1935 2,136,787 Dunham Nov. 15, 1938 2,173,715 Geldhof Sept. 19, 1939 2,186,263 Morgenstern June 9, 1940 2,202,499 Logue May 28, 1940 2,287,927 Altorfer June 30, 1942 2,296,259 Breckenridge Sept. 22, 1942 2,331,700 Kirby Oct. 12, 1943 2,575,689 Smith Nov. 20, 1951 2,625,031 Kreitchman Jan. 13, 1953 2,656,451 Rick Oct. 20, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 392,508 France Sept. 28,1908 491,364 Canada Mar. 17, 1953 

